Game 35: San Diego Gulls @ Iowa Wild – Jan 14

Line-ups remained the same except for the curious decision to put Keaton Thompson on the wing of the fourth line (Jared Thomas sat). No further update on injuries to Sideroff, Kossila, Tropp, Kopacka and Roy.

San Diego took it to the Wild to start, enjoying the majority of the start of the period in their zone. But the Wild found themselves on the Power Play when Simon Benoit was forced to hook a streaking forward whose speed had given him the inside lane. Things were made worse when Jo Blandisi was assessed an additional hooking penalty on the far boards during a puck battle, giving the Wild a minute of five on three. The unit of Megna, Holzer and Carrick kept Iowa at bay – preventing a decent shooting lane on Boyle and Benoit exited the box, the Gulls then carried that momentum to kill the remaining penalty with Boyle hardly being tested during that span.

The Gulls went right back to pressuring the Wild and keeping play in their zone for multi shift stretches at a time while allowing the odd drive and perimter shot on Boyle. Ben Street had a decent chance off of an individual play – the former Calder Cup winner had been quiet to start but has been coming on over the last two games.

The period ended without a tally and the Gulls outshooting the Wild 13 to 11.

The middle frame did not have a heck of a lot of action until Sam Steel came a finger tip close to opening the scoring when his shot was deflected thirty feet in the air and eventually fell behind the Wild goaltender Kahkonen who reacted in just in time to turn around and grab it before it could cross the line.

Soon after the Gulls were given their first power play of the game when Jo Blandisi was hauled down in the Wild zone. But the Wild capitalised on some sloppy passing and were able to force yet another breakaway – this time getting it by Boyle to take the lead a few minutes after the midway point of the period.

With the Gulls pulling Boyle for the extra attacker during a delayed penalty call Troy Terry got absolutely leveled as he came through the Wild zone and a small fracas broke out as Blandisi went to his aid. The Wild were served an additional minor – presumably for the hit and the Gulls went on a rare full two minute five on three. The first unit attempted to get passes through and take the play in close but the Wild were relentless and thwarted them every time they got close, with forty minutes left with the man advantage the second unit came on and once set up – got the puck back to Trevor Murphy. The former Roadrunner wound up and blasted a shot past Kahkonen to tie the game.

The middle frame ended with scores level and the third began with frenetic action from both teams but it would be the Wild who would strike just before midway point on a bad bounce that lead to an odd man rush; Boyle was not equal to the shot that came from a cross ice pass and the Wild took back the lead.

With two minutes left and with the Wild still holding the one goal lead Dallas Eakins pulled Boyle for the extra attacker. San Diego played keep away for the entire two minutes, only giving up the one opportunity to the Wild but Trevor Murphy was in the perfect position back to block it. The Wild finally incurred an icing infraction with less than twenty seconds left and San Diego pounced, winning the faceoff and desperately keeping the puck in play around the Wild net – eventually a bounce fell to Chase De Leo who fed a backhand spinorama pass to Adam Cracknell to the left side for the game tying score with just six seconds left.

San Diego began the overtime session well but a missed penalty that should have been called for holding the stick on Troy Terry contributed to a bad change for the Gulls and the Wild came in with speed to fire a shot by Boyle to break the Gulls win streak, San Diego did extend their points streak to thirteen straight games by virtue of Adam Cracknells game tying goal.